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This event is free; no tickets are required.

Harvard Book Store welcomes beloved local author and pastry chef LOUISE MILLER for a discussion of her new book, The Late Bloomers' Club: A Novel. She will be joined in conversation by writer ELLEN HERRICK, author of The Sparrow Sisters.

About The Late Bloomers' Club

Nora, the owner of the Miss Guthrie Diner, is perfectly happy serving up apple cider donuts, coffee, and eggs-any-way-you-like-em to her regulars, and she takes great pleasure in knowing exactly what's "the usual." But her life is soon shaken when she discovers she and her free-spirited, younger sister Kit stand to inherit the home and land of the town's beloved cake lady, Peggy Johnson.

Kit, an aspiring—and broke—filmmaker thinks her problems are solved when she and Nora find out Peggy was in the process of selling the land to a big-box developer before her death. The people of Guthrie are divided—some want the opportunities the development will bring, while others are staunchly against any change—and they aren't afraid to leave their opinions with their tips.

Time is running out, and the sisters need to make a decision soon. But Nora isn't quite ready to let go of the land, complete with a charming farmhouse, an ancient apple orchard and the clues to a secret life that no one knew Peggy had. Troubled by the conflicting needs of the town, and confused by her growing feelings towards Elliot, the big-box developer's rep, Nora throws herself into solving the one problem that everyone in town can agree on—finding Peggy's missing dog, Freckles.

When a disaster strikes the diner, the community of Guthrie bands together to help her, and Nora discovers that doing the right thing doesn't always mean giving up your dreams.

Praise for The Late Bloomers' Club

“The Late Bloomers’ Club is a downright delightful read. . . It has everything you want from a small town summer read: sweetness, charm, and a side of romance.” —HelloGiggles

“A transportive book, and one that activates the senses: the smell of cider donuts, the taste of elderberry juice and corn in red-and-white cardboard boats drenched in butter and flecked with sea salt, and the summertime warmth of rural New England." —The Boston Globe

“The people in Guthrie have no shortage of troubles, but they also have compassion, imagination, humor, and a camaraderie we badly need in today's world. Miller's novels are not only worlds I love to spend time in, I want to live there.” —Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Family

Ellen Herrick

Ellen Herrick

Ellen Herrick is the author of The Sparrow Sisters and The Forbidden Garden. She was a publishing professional in New York City until she and her husband moved to London for a brief stint; they returned nearly twenty years later with three children (her own, it must be said). She now divides her time between Cambridge, Massachusetts and a small town on Cape Cod very much like Granite Point.

Photo Credit: Susan Lapides

Louise Miller

Louise Miller

Louise Miller is a writer and pastry chef living in Boston, MA. Her debut novel, The City Baker's Guide to Country Living, was selected as an IndieNext pick by the American Booksellers Association, a Library Reads pick by librarians across the U.S., and was shortlisted by the America Library Association’s Reading List Council for best women’s fiction in 2017. In addition to baking and writing, Louise is an art school dropout, an amateur flower gardener, an old-time banjo player, an obsessive moviegoer, and a champion of old dogs.

From

To

Harvard Book Store1256 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138

Walking from the Harvard Square T station: 2 minutes

As you exit the station, reverse your direction and walk east along Mass. Ave. in front of the Cambridge Savings Bank. Cross Dunster St. and proceed along Mass. Ave for three more blocks. You will pass Au Bon Pain, JP Licks, and TD Bank. Harvard Book Store is located at the corner of Mass. Ave. and Plympton St.

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Add the book to your shopping cart and then click Checkout.

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FAQ:

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